October 2009 ChamberLink - Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce

A Publication of
MAY 2012
Expo theme is
“Made in the USA”
Local Elected
Officials
Speak
ELI
Graduates 23
www.daltonchamber.org
Chairman’s Message
CALENDAR
Member Mixer
Thursday, May 17th
5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
HealthCom Federal Credit Union
1412 Chattanooga Avenue
Free to Attend
BUSINESS UNIVERSITYAre you an Emotionally Intelligent
Leader?
Friday, May 18th
11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
North Georgia Center for Educational
Excellence
113 West Gordon Street
$75.00 light lunch & EQ Assessment
Chamber Connections
Friday, June 8th
11:30am-1:00pm
Outback Steakhouse
955 Market Street
$15.00 for members
Morning Member Mixer
Tuesday, June 12th
8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Bradley Wellness Center
1225 Broadrick Drive
Free to Attend
Member Mixer
Tuesday, June 21th
5:00 a.m.-6:00 a.m.
City Electric
211 E. Franklin Street
Free to Attend
Welcome to the May
edition of
ChamberLink.
The Greater Dalton
Community has a
tremendous legacy.
That legacy has a
foundation based
upon a rich history of
leaders who sought to
give much of themselves, their time and
their treasure, for the
betterment of our
community as a
whole. Presently, much of what we enjoy here is based
upon their varied contributions and for that we are
thankful.
Our opportunities for the future will be based upon the
outcomes of many of the decisions that are being made
by our current leaders - the elected, appointed and volunteer leadership of Greater Dalton. This encompasses
the Cities, the County, the Educational, Healthcare,
Business and numerous other entities that comprise our
community. Your Chamber leadership strives to serve
as a catalyst that will bring focused energy on those
efforts that will provide unity, progress and a high quality of life.
Please read carefully the interesting interviews with
some of our local elected officials that are in this issue.
Be sure to become informed and engaged in all that is
happening in and around Greater Dalton.
Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce
890 College Drive, Dalton, GA 30720
(706) 278-7373
www.daltonchamber.org
Mission
To serve as the unified voice of business, to
promote the economic prosperity of the
region and to build partnerships and
leadership that improve the quality of life
while delivering superior member services.
Vision
The Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce
will provide the leadership necessary to
leverage community resources and build
partnerships that are focused on positive
community growth.
Organizational Priority
Strengthen our ability to marshal the
resources necessary to achieve positive
community growth by focusing on three core
areas: economic development, leadership
development and community development.
2
Chamber Link
We are excited about a summer of upcoming events
such as Business Expo on July 12th . “Made in the
USA” is the theme of this year’s Expo! Reserve your
booth space now and join us to show off your products
and services, while learning about your business neighbors. Business Expo is the largest regional networking
event in Northwest Georgia, so mark your calendar
today!!
The Chamber will also be offering our 3nd Annual
Chamber Classic on September 24th at The Farm Golf
Club. This promises to be a spectacular day of golf and
networking, so you want to mark your calendars now
to attend. Sponsorship opportunities are available for
the Chamber Classic. Please call Beth Morrison at the
Chamber for more information.
As always you can stay informed about our upcoming
events and purchase your tickets on our website at
www.daltonchamber.org.
Our events are great opportunities to make new business contacts and grow your network. Plan to stay connected with the Chamber during the summer as we
offer you even more exposure opportunities. I strongly
encourage you to get to know your fellow business
partners in your Greater Dalton community.
I hope to see you at the Expo!
Joe Yarbrough, Chairman
Executive Board of Directors
Joe Yarbrough, Chairman..................Mohawk Industries
Bryan McAllister, Chairman-Elect.......Brown Industries
Penny Carpenter, Treasurer................Morehouse Group
Lynn Laughter, Past Chairman............Laughter & Jones Financial Management
Brian Anderson, President & CEO.......Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce
Don Adcock.....................................Adcock Financial Group
Carl Bouckaert.................................Beaulieu Group
Vann Brown.......................................ArrowStar, LLC
John Davis.......................................Peacock Alley
Kelly Fletcher....................................North Georgia Business Machines
David Jolly.......................................J&J Industries
Jim Kortum.......................................Windstream Communications
David Morgan.................................Shaw Industries, Inc.
Jeff Myers........................................Hamilton Health Care System, Inc.
Pablo Perez, M.D.............................Saint Joseph Clinic, P.C.
Dan Rogers.....................................OMNOVA Solutions
Robert H. Smalley III..................................McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle & Fordham, L.L.P.
Andy Walker.........................................Alliance National Bank
Staff
Brian Anderson......................President & CEO
Michelle Bartenfeld.................Membership Account Executive
Andrew Carnes......................Economic Development Project Manager
Elyse Cochran………..............Senior Vice President of Economic Development
Beth Morrison……..................Vice President, Member Services
Summer Nix..........................Administrative Assistant
Judy Sawyer….............……....Vice President, Finance & Administration
Alex Stall...............................Economic Development Senior Project Manager
Phyllis Stephens……................Senior Vice President
Barbara Ward…….................Director of Workforce Development
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Feature Story
Local Elected Officials Speak
Mayor David Pennington:
The merger commission scheduled to conclude its work and forward
recommendations to local elected officials. What do you think will
come from the merger study?
Hopefully nothing short of important departments that can be merged.
If a new consolidated government charter is not proposed, in what
ways can our local governments work together creating more effective
and efficient service delivery?
We should have countywide recreation and countywide Policing.
David Pennington,
Mayor of Dalton
If you could change or improve one issue affecting our community,
what would it be? Why?
It is imperative that we greatly improve the overall education of our citizens. We have
fallen from the richest county in NW Ga. As measured by per capita income to 7th in
the last decade. At the growth rate of the last 10 years we will fall to 10th of the 12
counties in NW Ga. We will only turn this around by a population that is educated
for the 21st century economy. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars thru esplost and property taxes with little to show for it. It is time to think differently. We
must strive to get every child on grade level by the end of the 3rd grade.
Mayor Dan Peeples:
The merger commission scheduled to conclude its work and forward recommendations to local elected officials. What do you think will come
from the merger study?
At this time it appears that the merger commission is stalled on basically two issues. The
first issue concerns the requirement to adopt all existing county alcohol ordinances by the
new government which will adversely affect package and Sunday sales in Dalton.
Second, the question of how Dalton Utilities will be incorporated in the new government
and how the existing transfer payment will be allocated. So, given these two major
obstacles to overcome and the time element requirement to complete the process, allow
time for a public campaign; in my opinion, I don’t think that a consolidation will be on
the November ballot this year. But, the exercise of studying local government and service delivery will be valuable in enabling all cities in our county to work better with each
other and our county government.
If a new consolidated government charter is not proposed, in what ways
can our local governments work together creating more effective and
efficient service delivery?
The merger commission has studied and also retained the Carl Vinson Institute of
Dan Peeples,
Government to study all departments of the city and county and we have learned that
Mayor of Varnell
some of the departments can be functionally consolidated in the absence of a full government consolidation. Assuming that the full governmental consolidation does not happen this year, I would call on the County Commissioners, the City Council of Dalton, and our other City Council officials to aggressively pursue all departments that could be functionally consolidated and that would provide most cost-efficient and effective service
delivery.
If you could change or improve one issue affecting our community, what would it be? Why?
The main issue that I see is the continuing conflict between the city and county governments . Although a unified metro-government
could eliminate conflicts and competition between the governments especially in the area of LOST and tax distribution issues, consolidation has not produced tax savings. But through collaboration among all local government entities, we could produce a unified agenda focused on economic development, planning, growth, and providing for the most efficient and effective use of scarce
resources.
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
3
Feature Story
Mayor Kenny Gowin:
The merger commission scheduled to conclude its work and forward recommendations to local elected officials. What do you think will come from the
merger study?
It’s hard to say. We gathered a lot of information, but didn’t really answer any questions. I
suppose the information will be useful and perhaps some departments can be merged. But, we
didn’t identify any savings or how services would improve.
If a new consolidated government charter is not proposed, in what ways can
our local governments work together creating more effective and efficient service delivery?
The Leadership in our Cities have to understand we’re all citizens of the County. Likewise, the
County Leadership needs to understand the importance of its’ Cities. The battle between
County and City isn’t new or unique to our area. It’s a system that’s been in place for many,
many years and will not be easily changed. I guess that’s the thing I hoped would come from
merger talks. That we could see the importance of working together for the good of our entire
community. The people want efficiency. You don’t have to merge; but, you do have to be able
to work together, not for the good of Dalton, or the good of Whitfield County, or the good of
Tunnel Hill; but, for the good of the entire community. Personally, I don’t think it happened.
Some of the parties are still too far apart.
If you could change or improve one issue affecting our community, what
would it be? Why?
I wish we backed our SPLOST referendums (I wish we planned our projects better too). We,
first, must admit that some taxes are important. There’s not a fairer tax than a SPLOST. I’m a
business man and I despise taxes as much as anyone. But, private business isn’t going to build infrastructure. And we can talk economic development all we want, but without proper infrastructure, the business community isn’t coming to Whitfield County. Over the past six or seven years,
while we’ve fought among ourselves over a penny, Catoosa County has put in wastewater treatment pipes and facilities almost county wide.
They’ve passed several SPLOST referendums consecutively to pay for the expansion. That’s a community wide plan that benefitted everyone. It
didn’t just benefit Ringgold, or Ft Oglethorpe, or Catoosa County. It benefitted everyone. That’s the kind of planning we need and that’s the
kind of community support we need.
Kenny Gowin,
Mayor of Tunnel Hill
Whitfield County Commission Chairman, Mike Babb:
The merger commission scheduled to conclude its work and forward recommendations to local elected officials. What do you think will come from the merger
study?
I'm sure that every member of the merger commission has their own thoughts on what has and has
not been accomplished. Even if a merger charter is not developed to be placed before the citizens I believe the commission has done valuable work in laying a foundation for the future. Some
of the suggestions to come from the commission will be valuable and achievable in the short term.
The commission has already determined several "unintended consequences" (such as alcohol ordinances) that could be a problem in a merger. These issues are now known and can be addressed
through the legislature or by actions of the two governments that will make local government consolidation easier to achieve in the future
If a new consolidated government charter is not proposed, in what ways can our
local governments work together creating more effective and efficient service
delivery?
The local governments can address functional consolidations either through intergovernmental
agreements or the setting up of authorities to oversee certain service deliveries. A successful example is the Dalton/Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Authority. At one time Dalton and Whitfield
County ran separate landfill operations. In the early 1990's these services were combined and
operate under an authority. The results have been exceptional from both a financial and environmental viewpoint. The operation is a benchmark for landfill operations in the state and host visitors from around the state and southeast. There are numerous issues to overcome in combining fire
departments or sheriff/police services but I believe recreation is a service where
consolidation can be achieved in the short term.
Mike Babb,
Whitfield County Commission Chairman
If you could change or improve one issue affecting our community, what would it
be? Why?
The one issue that I would like to change is the same issue that the commissioners are already trying to address and that is to increase the availability of good jobs in our community. The BOC is of the opinion that there is nothing better for people and a community than the availability of
good jobs. The BOC intends to be competitive in the retaining of present businesses in Whitfield County and in the recruitment of new businesses to Whitfield County. There is justified criticism of the use of incentives in recruiting and keeping businesses in Whitfield County but until incentives are outlawed for business recruitment they will continue to be one of the major recruiting tools being used in today's economic climate.
4
Chamber Link
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Business University
Thank you from the Emerging Leaders Institute
Class of 2012!
The Emerging Leaders Institute Class of 2012 expresses sincere appreciation to the following volunteers
for making the program a great success:
Dan Clark, Co-Chair
(Shaw Industries)
Carla Kelley (Whitfield County Emergency Services)
Managing Conflict
Katie O’Gwin, Co-Chair
(Katherine O’Gwin, PC)
Susan Newberry (Carpet & Rug Institute)
Group Problem Solving & Decision Making
The Program Facilitators and the Modules:
Brian Anderson (Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce)
Kick Off Retreat Keynote Speaker
Jessica Oliva-Calderin (Calderin & Oliva)
Valuing Community Diversity
Michele Pirkle (Whitfield County)
Group Dynamics
Tom Arnold (J & J Industries)
Group Problem Solving & Decision Making
John Relaford (United Way of Northwest Georgia)
Effective Communication
Rebecca Bolden (Mohawk Industries)
Effective Communication
Nikki Robinson (Mohawk Industries)
Effective Communication
Joe Bolduc (Shaw Industries)
Group Dynamics, Conducting Successful Meetings and Building
Communities through Collaboration
Mike Sarkowski (FSG-Dalton Whitfield Bank)
Team Building
Vickie Burns (North Georgia Center for Educational
Excellence)
Understanding Generational Differences
Kandi Edwards (Whitfield County Extension Service)
Valuing Community Diversity
Dana Holsomback (Minor, Bell & Neal)
Understanding Leadership
Conducting Successful Meetings
Jason Hopkins (Hamilton Medical Center)
Group Problem Solving & Decision Making
Miguel Triviño (Shaw Industries)
Building Communities Through Collaboration
Vicki Warren (Mohawk Industries)
Group Dynamics
Cynthia Wilson (Murray/Whitfield System of Care)
Conducting Successful Meetings
Special thanks goes to United Way of Northwest
Georgia for working with the Emerging Leaders
Institute by providing the BOARDWALK Training
program to the class of 2012.
Our appreciation goes to the following
for their time during this program:
Chester Chaffin (Shaw Industries)
Rob Cowan (Cowan Law Firm)
Andrea Dobbins (United Way of Northwest Georgia)
Josh Killion (Shaw Industries)
Bryan Macon (Dorsett Industries)
Mitch Sanford (First Bank of Dalton)
Larry Winter (Winter & Scoggins CPA)
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
5
Emerging Leaders Institute
EMERGING LEADERS INSTITUTE
CLASS OF 2012
J. Shane Adams
Owner
Bear Creek Bicycle
Company
Rigo Barragan
Business Process
Associate
Mohawk Industries
Samantha Bearden
County Clerk
Whitfield County
Stephen Bingham
Project Manager
Meco Builders, Inc.
Steven Bridenstine
Director, Finance
Hamilton Health Care
System, Inc.
Christopher Callahan*
Management Trainee
Mohawk Industries
Brian Childers
Manager of Information
Services
North Georgia EMC
Anthony Lamar Cline
Operations Manager
CARE
Daryl Cole*
Marketing
Communications
Manager
Hamilton Health Care
System, Inc.
David Cook*
Account Executive
Starr-Mathews
Agency, Inc.
Deanna Gray*
Process Engineer
Shaw Industries
Holly Greene*
HR Benefits Manager
Shaw Industries
Zachary Hall*
Tufting ManagerPlant 81
Shaw Industries
Adam Hood
Buyer- Management
Trainee
Mohawk Industries
Nathan Horne*
Communications
Specialist
Mohawk Industries, Inc.
*Perfect Attendance
6
Chamber Link
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Emerging Leaders Institute
EMERGING LEADERS INSTITUTE
CLASS OF 2012
Erin Malone*
Provider Relations
Representative
HealthOne Alliance &
Alliant Health Plans
Jessica Marks*
Community Engagement
Coordinator
United Way of Northwest
Georgia
Mena Morgan
Enterprise Excellence
Engineer III
Shaw Industries, Inc.
Summer Nix
Executive Assistant
Greater Dalton Chamber of
Commerce
Jonathan Pinney*
Raw Materials
Purchasing Agent
Mohawk Industries, Inc.
Congratulations
Emerging Leaders
Institute Class of 2012
Ryan Provost*
Coordinator of
Student Life
Dalton State College
Chris Quarles*
Doc. Services
J&J Industries
Troy Virgo*
Director of Sustainability
Shaw Industries, Inc.
*Perfect Attendance
Congratulations to the recent graduates of the
Emerging Leaders Institute Class of 2012. Pictured
in the front row kneeling are:
Holly Greene (Shaw Industries), David Cook (StarrMathews Agency), Jessica Marks (United Way of
Northwest Georgia), Rigo Barragan (Mohawk
Industries), Samantha Bearden (Whitfield County)
and Chris Quarles (J & J Industries).
Second row: Anthony Cline (CARE), Deanna Gray
(Shaw Industries), Jonathan Pinney (Mohawk
Industries), Christopher Callahan (Mohawk
Industries), Adam Hood (Mohawk Industries) and
Program Co-chair Katie O’Gwin (Katherine
O’Gwin, PC).
Third row: Summer Nix (Greater Dalton Chamber
of Commerce, Steven Bridenstine (Hamilton Health
Care System), Troy Virgo (Shaw Industries),
Nathan Horne (Mohawk Industries), Ryan Provost
(Dalton State College), Stephen Bingham (Meco
Builders), Erin Malone (HealthOne Alliance &
Alliant Health Plans), and Program Co-Chair Dan
Clark (Shaw Industries).
Fourth row: Shane Adams (Bear Creek Bicycle
Company), Daryl Cole (Hamilton Health Care
System), Zachary Hall (Shaw Industries), Mena
Morgan (Shaw Industries), and Brian Childers
(North Georgia Electric Membership Corporation).
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
7
Morning Mixer
Morning Mixer at Massage Associates of Dalton
Brian Peters (Advanced Insurance Strategies), Michael
Williams (Bradley Wellness Center) and Connie Carter
(Shopwhitfield.com) network at the Morning Member Mixer.
Adam Sanders (Aladdin Printing & Copying), Michael Green
(Apex Supply), Randy Waskul ( Global Environmental) and
Linda Summer (Massage Associates of Dalton) get to know
each other during the event.
Lenora Johnson (J & J Carpet Mart), Kristie Gazaway (Jarrett’s
Business Machines), Nancy Green (Wells Fargo Bank) and
Andrea Owenby (Servpro of N. Whitfield, Catoosa & E. Walker
Counties) enjoy the event at Massage Associates.
Patricia Devlin (FSG Dalton-Whitfield Bank) and Lacey Bennett
(Servpro of N. Whitfield, Catoosa & E. Walker Counties) catch
up at the Mixer.
Tuesday, June 12th
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. - Free to attend!
Bradley Wellness Center • 1225 Broadrick Drive
8
Chamber Link
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Minutes away, miles ahead
Center’s HealthGrades
HealthGrades
Hamilton Medical Center’s
achievements include:
clinical achievements
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Economic Development
Highlights from the Small Business &
Franchising Workshop
The Mission of the
Dalton - Whitfield County Joint
Development Authority is to
facilitate the long-term, positive
economic growth of the community by attracting/retaining jobs,
diverse investments and growing
the tax base.
The Development Authority repre-
Over fifty local entrepreneurs and small business owners attended the 2012 Small
Business & Franchising Workshop last month at the NorthWest Georgia Trade &
Convention Center. Sponsored by BB&T and Minor, Bell & Neal, the workshop featured many helpful hints and suggestions to assist local businesses.
Presentations were provided by the Georgia Small Business Development Center,
Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, FranChoice, BB&T and Minor, Bell &
Neal. During these presentations, attendees learned about business lending, legal
considerations, franchising and other factors to consider when starting and running a
small business. In addition, attendees had the opportunity to hear from a panel of
entrepreneurs currently operating a small business in the Greater Dalton area. These
included Angela Gordy of Gordy CPA, Shane Adams of Bear Creek Bicycle Co. and
Savannah Morrison of ACE Transportation Repair.
sents a public-private partnership
funded by Whitfield County,
City of Dalton and Grow
Greater Dalton.
Lastly, the participants were able to hear about free services offered by the Joint
Development Authority, including customer analytics data and a new small business
website found at www.daltonsbn.org. The website includes local resources, business
plan assistance and action items to consider when establishing a business.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair: Andy Walker - Alliance
National Bank
Vice Chair: Bill Davies – BB&T
Secretary-Treasurer:
Kevin Harris – Arrowstar, L.L.C.
Dan Combs - State Farm
Insurance-Dan Combs
Bob Kinard - Kinard Realty, Inc.
Lamar Lyle - Lyle Industires
Frank Robertson – Robertson
and Company
Elyse Cochran, CCE
Chamber-Senior Vice President of
Economic Development
Alex Stall
Economic Development
Senior Project Manager
Barbara Ward
Director of Workforce
Development
Andrew Carnes
Economic Development
Project Manager
10
Chamber Link
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Economic Indicators
Feburary Unem
mployment Rate
2011
13.9%
12.4%
10.1%
9.5%
Not seasonally adjusted
City of Dalton
Whitfield County
Georgia
United States
2012
12
2.5%
11
1.7%
9.2%
8.7%
May Building Permits
Residential
Number Issued
Permit Value
YTD Number Issued
YTD Permit Value
Commercial
Number Issued
Permit Value
YTD Number Issued
YTD Permit Value
2011
2
$23
30,000
5
$54
47,113
2011
1
$1,7
764,091
2
$2,3
339,091
2012
2
$20
0,000
8
$14
48,000
2012
2
$23
33,000
5
$3,650,520
Sikes Paper, your local choice for all of your
janitorial and building maintenance needs
Lo
ocal Sales Ta
ax Distribution
City of Dalton (LOST)
Whitfield County (LOST)
Mar 2011
Jan-Mar 2011
Mar 2012
$213,945
$1,192,879
$647,505
$3,610,255
$217,853
$1,214,670
Jan-Mar
2012
$702,825
$3,918,691
Retail Sales
s - National
Not seasonally adjusted;
estimates shown in millions of
dollars
Feb 2011
Jan-Feb 2011
Feb 2012
Jan-Feb
2012
Total retail sales
Automobile dealers
Floor covering stores
General merchandise stores
Food services & drinking places
306,748
54,247
941
46,293
37,207
612,032
104,408
1,905
91,098
74,005
338,014
60,504
1,270
49,306
41,146
661,002
113,659
2,524
95,840
80,961
*Unemployment rates and local sa
ales tax are the
e latest state-proviided figures. Numbers
N
for
m county recorrds. National retail sales figures p
provided by U.S.
building permits are obtained from
Census Bureau.
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
636 Glenwood Place
Dalton, GA
877-398-9456
Chamber Link
11
Wake Up...Whitfield
Wake Up...Whitifield
Social Media Marketing Made Simple
This information-packed seminar will review the essential strategies and best
practices a business or organization should understand to successfully get
started with social media marketing. The seminar will cover:
• What social media marketing really is and why it’s important;
• Various social media networks and tools: how they interact, ways to leverage their strengths, and how to evaluate them for best use for your business
or organization;
• How other businesses are using these low-cost tools to gain visibility, develop relationships, and drive sales and engagement;
• How to incorporate social media marketing into your business life without
losing productivity.
Participants will have plenty of time to ask questions, share experiences, and
network with peers. And they’ll leave with real-world insights and knowledge
that they can put to work immediately, to help their business or organization
succeed. Led by Authorized Local Expert Howard Flint for Constant Contact.
12
Chamber Link
www.daltonchamber.org
Howard Flint
May 2012
Ribbon Cuttings
We
We wish the following businesses much success
+NOWLEDGEs)NNOVATIONs)NSIGHT
+NOWLEDGEs)NNOVATIONs)NSIGHT
Conasauga River Alliance
Nathan Vance
10780 Hwy 2
(706) 618-0059
Cotton & Twine Boutique
Larissa Boston
106 W. Waugh Street
(706) 529-8186
FloorMAX
Jerry Stanley
3021 N. Dug Gap Road
(706) 277-2599
Sikes Paper Company
Scott King
636 Glenwood Place
(706) 980-4090
Rebel Soul
Christie Clayton
Walnut Square Mall
816 Walnut Square Blvd.
(706) 226-0230
Giant Scissors Looking for Work
If you are a new business, new to the Chamber
or have moved to a new location....call us!
The Chamber will provide the giant scissors
and ribbon and will take a picture for
The Daily Citizen and ChamberLink.
AlliantPlans.com
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
13
Diplomat of the Month
Diplomat of the Month
Andrea Ownbey
I am so honored to be named Diplomat of the month for the Greater Dalton
Chamber of Commerce.
I work at Servpro of North Whitfield, Catoosa and East Walker in sales and
marketing. We are a Fire and Water Restorations company. At Servpro we
understand the stress and worry that comes with a fire or water damage and
the interruption it causes to your life and home. Our goal is to help minimize
the disruption to your life and quickly make it "Like it never even happened".
The Greater Dalton Chamber is the heart of the Community. With the
Chamber I have the opportunities to network and really get involved in our
local community, through ribbon cuttings, business of the week, morning and
evening mixers and all the other great events that the chamber has to offer.
The thing I am most excited about is that through the chamber I became a
member of Young Professionals of Northwest Georgia (aka YPONG), I now
sit on the board for them. It is a great group that is growing and I am very
excited to be a part of.
I was born and raised in Dalton, I am married to Clayton Ownbey and we have a five year old son Landon. We
love living here and being involved in our local community!!!!
Working lunch? We have choices to suit anyone’s
appetite, including our Chopped Chicken Cobb Salad
with all-natural chicken, romaine lettuce, Applewoodsmoked bacon, Gorgonzola cheese, tomatoes, hardboiled egg and herb vinaigrette dressing. Make your next
meeting both productive and delicious. Contact our
Catering Coordinator about menu and delivery options.
Order online at paneracatering.com
1303 W. Walnut Ave. Ste 1UÊDalton, TN
(865) 220-5699
www.Panera-EastTennessee.com
14
Chamber Link
©2011 Panera Bread. All rights reserved.
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Chamber Connections
Chamber Connections at
Savannah Morrison (ACE Transportation Repair), Meagen Morrison
(Tease Salon) and Lexie Oliver (Peak Fitness) enjoy the Chamber
Connections Luncheon.
David Rhea (The Auto Club Group), Cheryle Schoeneman (Dalton
Funeral Home), Shelly Faucett (Dalton Funeral Home) and Jamie
Kennedy (Signs, Graphics, Printing) all enjoy catching up at the
event.
Jennifer Williams and Renee Davis with Four Paws Pet Resort exhibited during the recent Connections.
Tammie Willis and Chris Stanley with Ponders Funeral Home are
pictured at Chamber Connections.
Next Chamber Connections
Friday, June 8th, Outback Steakhouse
955 Market Street 11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. • $15.00 members $65 non-members
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
15
Emerging Leaders Institute
Leadership Dalton-Whitfield Medical
Services Session
The Leadership Dalton-Whitfield Class program topic for the
month of April was on medical services. The session began
with an overview of the Whitfield County Health Department
by Chairman of the Board Bruce Broadrick and staff from the
Whitfield County Health Department. The class enjoyed a tour
of the facility before they departed and conducted the remainder of the session at Hamilton Medical Center.
Session Chairman Jeff Myers (Hamilton Health Care System)
reported on trends in health care delivery and gave an
overview of Hamilton Health Care System. The session also
included a presentation by Dr. Steven Rohn on the topic of
Evidence Based Medicine. Senior Vice President of Hamilton
Health Care System Gary Howard gave an overview of the
Transformation of the US Healthcare System. The day also
included presentations by Sheila Baker on the topic of Creating
Jeff Myers, President and CEO of Hamilton Health Care
System gives an overview Hamilton Health Care System and
Trends in Health Care Delivery.
Class member Graham Fox with Hamilton Physician
Group is pictured speaking with the Gayle Brannon, the
new manager of the Whitfield County Health Department.
16
Chamber Link
the Exceptional Patient and an update on the Northwest
Georgia Healthcare Partnership by Board Chair Ralph Boe
(Beaulieu) and Executive Director Nancy Kennedy.
After lunch the class took department tours that included:
Hamilton Regional Cancer Institute, Labor & Delivery and
Neonatal ICU; Emergency Department/Laboratory; Ambulatory
Surgery Center; Observation Unit – Mediavision, Endovascular
Lab and Radiology; and Royal Oaks, the Bradley Wellness
Center and Rehabilitation.
The session concluded with a tour of Ross Woods Adult Day
Services.
Special thanks to Jeff Myers for serving as
Session Chair of the Medical Services Session.
The class began their Medical Services Session at the
Whitfield County Health Department.
The class is pictured taking a tour at Ross Woods Adult Day
Care Center.
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Business Expo
Business Expo
2012
NorthWest Georgia Trade Center
Thursday, July 12 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Cookout on the Hill 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Made in the USA
Company Name_________________________
Representative__________________________
Address_________________________________
Phone___________________________________
Email____________________________________
Send to attention
morrison@daltonchamber.org
or mail to Beth Morrison at the Greater
Dalton Chamber of Commerce
890 College Drive, Dalton, GA. 30720
Join local businesses as they show
off their products and services
“Made in the USA”, right here in
our region! Be a part of Northwest
Georgia’s largest networking event.
FREE TO ATTEND
May 2012
Yes! I want to spotlight
my company at the
Business Expo 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
17
Earth Day
MAY IS BETTER SPEECH & HEARING MONTH
HELPING PEOPLE
CO M M U N I C AT E
PSC Metals Celebrates
Earth Day
LO O P E R S P E E C H & H E A R I N G C E N T E R
is offering FREE hearing screenings during
May, Better Speech & Hearing Month
OOPER
Speech & Hearing Center
Call 706.226.4623 to schedule
your Free Hearing Screening,
between May 1 - 31.
tXXXMPPQFSTIDDPN
18
Chamber Link
PSC Metals recently celebrated Earth Day with a cookout!
Chamber Diplomats joined in the fun along with: (L to R)
Liz Swafford (Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority), Nancy
Green (Wells Fargo Bank), Lenora Johnson ( J & J Carpet Mart),
Michael Green (Apex Supply), Andrea Ownbey (Servpro of N.
Whitfield, Catoosa & E. Walker Counties), Lacey Bennett
(Servpro of N. Whitfield, Catoosa & E. Walker Counties)
Andrew Crowe (PSC Metals), Heath Patterson (Advanced
Insurance Strategies), Glen Crowe (PSC Metals), Steve LeRoy
(PSC Metals), & Dustin Dickson (PSC Metals)
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Flag Presentation
Flag Presentation
Chamber President Brian Anderson raises the new flag presented by Joseph Weatherford (Modern Woodmen), as staff look
on.
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
19
Member Mixer
Member Mixer at Dalton Falls Golf & Laser Tag
Keith Burton (Americas Best Choice Windows of Dalton),
Lacey Bennett (Servpro of N. Whitfield, Catoosa & E.
Walker Counties), Michael Chitwood (Courtyard by
Marriott) and Amber Morrison (Book Gallery) enjoyed the
Mixer at Dalton Falls.
Ben King, Tim Rowe and Cheryle Schoeneman with Dalton
Funeral Home play a round of mini golf during the event.
Matthew Staats and Daniel Staats (Helping the Hurting, Inc.)
speak with Stan Capps owner of Dalton Falls Golf & Laser
Tag.
Terry Tate (Total Print), Bill Bell (Minor, Bell & Neal) and
Chamber President, Brian Anderson catch up at the Mixer.
Next Member Mixer:
Thursday, May 17th
HealthCom Federal Credit Union
1412 Chattanooga Avenue
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Free to attend!
20
Chamber Link
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
Go Green
J&J’s Aquafinity
Water Reclamation System
2012 Chamber
“Green” Sponsor
J&J’s Aquafinity System is capable of removing
dye and chemical additives from its industrial
wastewater by using a blend of filters and
reverse osmosis. The past several months have
been devoted to tuning of automatic control
systems as the overall system has been brought
up to full production capacity.
This innovative filtration processes is an industry first and is helping J&J recover 80 to 90%
of its dyehouse wastewater annually. It is
expected to pay for itself in just over three
years.
“This system is a practical and economically
feasible way to remove dye and other additives from industrial wastewater,” said Howard
Elder, Director of Research and Environmental
Affairs at J&J Industries. “The reuse of wastewater in carpet dyeing is an environmentally
innovative process that J&J is proud to pioneer.”
The company has been tracking water reclamation since the system went live in December
and reclamation has almost reached the one
million gallon mark. Because J&J thinks that a
sustainable industry is better than a sustainable
company, tours of the facility are being offered
for its associates, customers, regional officials
and even competitors.
This year J&J Industries anticipates that 30 to
35 million gallons of dye house wastewater
will be recycled by the Aquafinity System removing dye and other chemical additives,
and creating a warmer and more consistent end product
for reuse in its dyehouse.
“With the Aquafinity System we are going to see
warmer, cleaner, and more consistent water than we
have ever seen. That means we won’t have to use as
much energy to warm the City’s 60 degree water.
More consistent water for dyeing should improve quality
in the dyeing process,” says Jonathan Sierra, J&J’s
Research Manager, “As a result, we expect to save 5 billion BTU’s of energy each year (the equivalent energy to
power 150 local homes for a full year)”.
Is your company Green? If so, share your story with us and the business community.
Email your story to Beth Morrison: morrison@daltonchamber.org and you may be featured in an upcoming issue of ChamberLink.
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
21
Spotlight on Business
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo works hard to be the best local bank in Dalton while
offering all the benefits, conveniences and strengths of a nationwide
financial services company. Wells Fargo makes decisions locally,
from loan applications to charitable giving, whenever possible.
Just in the last year, Wells Fargo has given to
local groups including Big Brothers and Big
Sisters of Dalton, Roman Open Charities,
Dalton State College, and more.
In Whitfield County, the company’s 50 some team members serve customers through three bank stores and a business banking office, located at 201 South Hamilton Street. Wells Fargo also serves customers
through bank stores across Northwest Georgia, including stores in
Calhoun, Chatsworth, Fort Oglethorpe, La Fayette and Ringgold.
Wells Fargo believes in promoting the long-term economic prosperity
and quality of life for everyone in Dalton and beyond, giving not only
money, but also giving volunteer hours and leadership for groups and
initiatives.
As a coast-to-coast financial services company, Wells Fargo provides
not just banking but insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer
and commercial finance products through more than 9,000 stores,
more than 12,000 ATMs, the internet and other distribution channels.
Wells Fargo has a proud history of serving Dalton and Whitfield
County and hopes to continue helping its customers and the community for years to come.
The company is the nation’s no. 1 retail mortgage lender and the no.
1 SBA lender in loan dollars.
Fortune has named Wells Fargo among the world’s most admired
companies. Its vision is to satisfy all the financial needs of its customers so that they can succeed financially. That’s why building longlasting customer relationships are so important.
Wells Fargo is proud to be lending to local businesses in Dalton who
may not be able to find the financing that they need elsewhere.
The company’s commitment goes beyond business. Supporting local
communities is an integral part of the culture.
Dale Cruse
Nancy Green
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22
Chamber Link
www.daltonchamber.org
May 2012
New Members & Updates
NEW MEMBERS
G&K Services
Kevin Booth
73 Center Road
Cartersville, GA 30121
770-382-5151
Uniforms
Facility Services
Logo Apparel
Legal Shield
Mark Rowland
108 Watt Drive
Dalton, GA 30721
706-218-9709
Attorney
Legal Services
Identity Theft Protection
The Lock Guys
Jason Jaudon
417 North Glenwood Avenue
Dalton, GA 30721
706-581-7215
Locksmith
Keys
Tatanka Hills Bison Farm
Derek & David Jolly
70 Lanier Lane
Lafayette, GA 30278
706-397-2177
Meat Markets
MEMBER UPDATES
• Apex Supply welcomes Outside Sales Representative,
Michael Green.
• Dalton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomes Sales Manager, Alyce Heifner.
• NorthWest Georgia Trade & Convention Center
welcomes Tyler Wright.
Do you have changes at your company?
E-mail Summer Nix at
nix@daltonchamber.org
to have them featured in the
next ChamberLink.
Peacock Candles
Ashlee Swilling
3865 Dunnagan Road
Rocky Face, GA 30740
706-673-3987
Gifts and Specialty Shops
Ronald Blaylock
Associate Member
May 2012
www.daltonchamber.org
Chamber Link
23
PRST. STD.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Dalton, GA
Permit #502
Measure of Success:
Having a commercial banker who is a partner and a friend
Discover how successful your company can be when you have a personal
relationship with a commercial banker you can count on and trust, day in
and day out.
> Commercial Lending
> Business Internet Banking
> Business Online Library
> Commercial Deposit Products
and Services
Return Service Requested
Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce
890 College Drive
Dalton, GA 30720
Cohutta Banking Company commercial bankers work with you to help
achieve your company’s financial goals. We offer the sophisticated
products you need, including enhanced Business Internet Banking and
our Business Online Library, paired with commercial banking expertise
and local decision making to build powerful business banking solutions
that are ready to work for you.
> Treasury Services
> Payment Services
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cohuttabank.com | 706-695-9431
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